Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Virginia laws on domestic violence

Domestic violence in Virginia is categorized under “family abuse”.
Family abuse is any act which involves violence, force, threat that results
in bodily injury or places a person in reasonable apprehension of death,
sexual assault, or bodily injury committed by a person’s family
or household member. Family or household member includes your spouse (even
if they do not live with you), former spouse, anyone you have a child
with, anyone you live with or have lived with in the past 12 months.

What Actions Can I Take?

Criminally, the person who committed an assault and battery can be arrested
without a warrant if police believe there is probable cause. You can also
file for an arrest warrant by appearing before a magistrate, who can issue
a warrant for the arrest.

Alternatively, you can request a protective order. Instead of arresting
the person, a protective order prohibits the abusing person from contacting
you or coming to your home. If the abuser violates the protective order,
he or she can be charged with violating such order and be subject to jail
time. Depending on your circumstances, you may want to consider an Emergency
Protective Order, a Preliminary Protective Order, or a two year Protective
Order. Protective orders can also be issued for stalking.

Virginia also provides victims of domestic violence who were physically
injured compensation for losses, including in earnings, medical expenses,
health counseling, and moving expenses.

Additional Resources

Facing your abuser and taking action when you have been a victim of domestic
violence can be a challenging process. There are many resources available
for domestic violence victims in Northern Virginia that you can turn to,
including:

The information on this website is for general information purposes only.
Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual
case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt
or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.

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